Mrs

 Piecing it all together in 3rd grade!  Here are some policies and procedures for our classroom. Please read over them carefully and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks! Supplies If you have trouble finding anything, feel free to let me know. Every child will need:  1 package of 24 crayons  1 package of washable markers (basic colors only)  1 package of colored pencils  1 yellow highlighter  2 or 3 colored pens (any colors)  6-8 glue sticks  1 package of wide-ruled notebook paper  2 one subject wide-ruled marble composition notebooks (no spirals please)  1 yellow pocket folder with prongs  3 pocket folders without prongs (1 red, 1 blue, 1 green)  1 plastic pencil box Also, as a reminder, due to storage and safety issues, your child should bring a book bag without wheels. Thank you! Wish List If you would like to donate other supplies to the classroom we are always in need of:  tissues  Clorox/Lysol wipes  Ziploc bags (all sizes)  bags of individually wrapped candy (nothing with peanuts please)  extra glue sticks  hand sanitizer  games (new or used) such as Uno, Connect Four, puzzles, etc.  velcro  magnets  hand held kitchen timers (can be found at Dollar Tree) Daily Folders Each day your child will bring home a yellow folder from school. It is your child’s responsibility to show this folder to you daily. It is very important that this folder come back each morning. These will be checked in each day. The following should always be in your child’s daily folder….. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Behavior Calendar – The behavior calendar will be located in the center of your child’s folder. It has important dates written in it. Each day, your child will log their color for the day (green, yellow, orange, red). If they have changed their color, there will be a slip of paper in the folder as to the behavior that caused that color change (initialed by me). If they are on red, there should be a form for you to sign. Part of your child’s homework is to have their behavior log signed or initialed by you every night. Simply initial in the box that you are aware of your child’s daily behavior. Spelling Activities – In the center of your child’s folder is a list of suggested spelling activities to practice spelling with. Parent/Teacher Communication Log – In the left-hand pocket of your child’s daily folder is a parent/teacher communication log. Please check this nightly for notes from me. You are also asked to write in the log anytime you have questions or concerns. Please make sure to leave all parent/teacher communication logs in the folder. Weekly Newsletter – The weekly newsletter will also go in the lefthand pocket of your child’s folder. Feel free to pull this out to put on your refrigerator, etc. if need be. Homework – Homework will be placed in the right-hand pocket on Mondays. It needs to be turned in by your child by Thursday each week. Weekly Newsletters A class newsletter will go home every Monday. Please check your child’s daily folder for this each week. It will keep you informed on objectives covered and other important information. The newsletter will also have your child’s behavior grade for the week before. The weekly rubric for behavior grades is:  no more than 1 yellow card pulled in the week = S+  2 – 3 yellow cards or 1 orange card pulled = S  anything more than the above = N Weekly Folders A weekly folder will go home on Mondays with all of your child’s work from the week before and any other important papers from the office, PTA, etc. Please review this work with your child, sign the folder, and return the folder to school on Wednesday. Anything that is graded should be signed and sent back for your child’s portfolio. I will put these in a notebook and hang on to them until the end of the year. I am also asking that you help your child choose the 2 pieces of work that they are most proud of for that week and send those 2 pieces back with the folder. These will also be going in your child’s portfolio in the classroom. Thanks for your help on this! Homework Homework extremely important to help refine skills taught. However, I am also a firm believer in choices and flexibility. I know that all of our schedules can get extremely hectic. Therefore, most weeks your child will bring home all of their homework for the week on Monday. It is due back by Thursdays each week. If they finish early, they may go ahead and turn it in. Thursday nights are always saved for studying for our weekly mastery tests. In addition to homework assignments, your child will need to memorize his/her multiplication facts. Please work on these facts daily. You can use flashcards or call them out as you drive in the car, make dinner, etc. There are also some excellent links on my website to help with this. Spelling Spelling is a little different in 3 rd grade from K-2. It is very simple, though.  Spelling words will go home on Monday. Most of these words follow a certain pattern (short vowels, etc.). Your child is not required to do any contract activities to turn in. They are expected to study their spelling words throughout the week on their own (or with you). Each child learns differently so in your child’s daily folder is a list of suggested activities to help with practicing spelling words. We will be working with these words each and every day in class as well. On Friday, students will be given a spelling test. AR/Library Your child will continue to be a part of Reading Renaissance. Within the next 1-2 weeks, your child will be given his/her custom reading range. They will then be able to check out up to 2 library books on his/her level. Reading logs must be signed nightly even if the book was not finished (put the pages read). Please sign the log only after hearing a summary of the book from your child. Your child will then take a test on that book the next day. AR goals will be slightly different this year. Instead of aiming for a weekly goal, students will be given a quarterly goal each quarter. This will allow your child to start reading more chapter books if they would like. We will still be having AR time in the classroom each day and students’ reading logs should be completed for each book read. In order for your child to meet their goal, they must have an 85% or better accuracy rate in addition to the quarterly point value. Testing/Grading As I am sure you all are aware, 3 rd grade is the year to begin testing!! I can assure you that we will be doing many things to prepare for testing in the classroom. I can also assure you that this year will not be a strictly “seat work” year for your child. To practice test taking strategies, we will be testing every Friday in the classroom. Fridays will be reserved for assessments in math, reading skills, and spelling. I put a weekly study guide on my website each week so that you can help your child. More information will come on this next week. Grading will also be different this year. Your child will be receiving letter grades instead of 1, 2, 3, or 4 on their report cards. Anything that comes home with a grade on it has been recorded in the gradebook for that quarter. Anything that was simply practice will come home with a “P” on it. Website My website is a wonderful resource for you! I update it on a weekly basis. Most weeks, I try to update it by Friday evening for the following week. On my website, you will find my newsletter, spelling words, homework, study guides, and a calendar of events. You will also find links to some fantastic websites to help your children. If you have internet access, please try to check the class website on a weekly basis. You can get there through the Eaton homepage (www.nhcs.net/eaton) by clicking on “Teacher Web Pages” on the right hand side. You can also access it through the actual web address(http://teacherweb.com/NC/EatonElementary/Reiner). Bi-Weekly Progress Reports After 1st quarter interims go out, I will be sending home bi-weekly progress reports. These will be a printout of your child’s grades during the quarter thus far, an AR printout, and any other comments necessary. These do not need to be signed and returned. They are simply for your information so that you know where your child stands and the areas of need. Snack Children will have the opportunity to have snack every day. Please send a small, HEALTHY snack with your child each day if your child wishes to eat snack. Please, no candy or junk food.  Absences After your child has been absent, please make sure you send in a note the next day (or you may send me an e-mail). That information has to be recorded and sent to the office daily. If I do not receive a note, I am required to mark the absence as unexcused. Transportation Please make sure you let us know how your child will be getting home normally (on the info sheet). If your child is to go home any way other than what they normally do (ex: going carpool instead of bus, a different bus, a daycare bus, etc.) please notify the office prior to dismissal. Otherwise, they will be sent home via their normal mode of transportation. Please do not leave a message on my voice mail concerning changes in transportation because I may not get it until the end of the day. Dress Code Please make sure to review the New Hanover County Schools dress code in the handbook. It highlights many of the important dress code policies such as no flip-flops, spaghetti straps, backless shirts, short shorts, inappropriate t-shirts, etc. Thanks! Volunteering In our classroom, we would welcome any help that you would like to give in any way. If you are interested in volunteering in the classroom please fill out the attached form. Please mark your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices for times and whether you would like to come in once a week, once every 2 weeks, once a month, or randomly when your schedule permits. There are many ways that you can help both in and out of the classroom. I am asking that you give us until mid-August to establish new rules and procedures before starting the volunteer schedule. If you would like to do anything at home during this time to help out, please let me know. Thank you for your understanding on this! Birthdays Birthdays are special events for 8 and 9 year olds. If you would like to bring a treat for your child’s birthday, please bring it so it can be passed out during lunch or snack. Please simply let me know beforehand in case there is a conflict with schedules. Change in Information Please notify me immediately of any changes in your address or phone numbers. Please also bring any emergency contact number changes to my attention. It is very important that we can contact you at any time in case of an emergency. Itinerant Schedule This year the school will be operating of a 4-day rotational schedule for itinerants so that students will have itinerant each day of the week. Therefore, your child’s itinerant schedule will be different each week. Please check the calendar in your child’s daily folder to see when your child needs to wear their sneakers for P.E. each week. Discipline On the following page you will find the classroom management plan for our classroom. This includes class rules, consequences, and rewards. In order to guarantee your child and all of the students in our classroom the excellent educational climate they deserve, a positive discipline program will be used. All aspects of this program will be clearly communicated and consistent. Please read this tonight and review it with your child. Sign and return the copy tomorrow. Thank you! Please do not hesitate to come to me about anything. You may call the school and leave a message for me (397-1544 ext. 313) or you may e-mail me anytime at lreiner@nhcs.k12.nc.us. Thank you for your support this year. I am really excited about embarking on this new adventure with your children!!